Apparatus for adjusting elevation of guns.



, Patented Dec. I9, |899. J. KRNE. APPARATUS'FUR ADJUSTING ELEVATION 0F GUNS. (Application filed Apr. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)`

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l Nn. 639,407. Patented Dec. I9, |899.

.|.'KRONE. APPARATUS F03 ADJUSTING ELEVATIUN 0F GUNS.

, (Application ledApr. 21, 1899.) v (nu Model.) 2 shethsneet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANNES KRONE, OF ESSEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPP, -OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTl-NG ELEVATION OF GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,407, dated December 19, 1899. Application iiled AprilZl, 189). Serial No. 713,878. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANNES KEoNE, a citivzen of the German Empire, residing at Essen, Germany, have invented certain new and'u'seful Improvements in Apparatuses for Adjusting the Elevation of Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns whose sighting apparatus is not attached to the barrel itself and which require special means to obtain the proper elevation. The methods hitherto used for this purpose required more 0r less complicated intermediate mechanism between the sight and the gun, in which mechanism lost motion would be apt to occur. Besides, they necessitated the application of the graduation, cbc., to the gun itself, so that errors of observation by the man attending the elevating mechanism were not excluded. The present inventionis to remedy those de'- fects, and for this purpose it consists in adjusting an index-hand to the desired elevation of the gun and then turning the gun up or down until some point of an elevation-curve provided on the gun-barrel comes up to the end of the index-hand. The adjustable index-hand may be connected to the sighting mechanism in such a manner that in sighting the difference of level is at once accounted for.

In the annexed drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to two guns placed parallel within a turret to be pointed by one and the same sighting apparatus.

The invention may, however, be readily applied to single guns as well as to more than two guns with a common sighting apparatus.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the rear part of two turret-guns as well as of the common sighting apparatus, the latter being partly in section. Fig. 2 is a rear end View of the two gun-barrels and'of the sighting apparatus.

Similar letters and n umerals refer to similar parts throughout both views.

Between the two guns and near the place for the operator is a standard ct'. o is a shaft supported in bearings b t of the standard a and in other xed bearings d d at its outer ends. To the shaft c are attached indexhands e e. To each of the gun-barrels, re-

spectively to the cradles, is attached a plate f, on which a curve g h is marked out. This curve is drawn in the following manner: As-

suming the position of the index-hand e in Fig. l to be the zero position,A the point t of the] plate f, to which the end of the indexhand (or some mark near the end of it) points, is at the same time the zero-point of the curve g t. Any other point of the curve, such as the point p, is obtained by turning the indexhand e an angle of, whereby its end is brought to a point 'rt on the arc t Z described by the end of the index-hand. Drawingthenaline m n from the center of the trunnion o to the point n describing an arc of a circle with m as a center and m n as a radius and drawing a line mp at an angle a degrees with ma then the point p is a point of the curve g h, and by turning the gun to bring this point p down t0 the end of the pointer when turned an angle of degrees from t' to n the gun will have an elevation of n degrees. A number of points determined in the same way are connected to form a continuous curve g 7i, It must be observed that to the left of the zero-point t' the arcs described from the center m of the trunnion are directed upwardly, while to the right of the Zero-point they are directed downwardly.

When the vcurve g t has been properly traced and the index-hand e is moved from the position shown in Fig. l to any other position-for instance, to a position in which its point is atn (af degrees from the zero position) and then the elevation of the gun is changed by means of the elevating-gear, the point of the index-hand describes relatively vto the gun an arc of a circle concentric to the trunnion and will inally reach the point p of the curve g 7i. If now the elevation is not further changed, the barrel has been elevated an angle of a.' degrees, as follows from the above-described method of forming the curve. The same applies to any other angle, to the right and left of the zero-point, and if the index-hand has been properly adj usted for distance and difference of level the elevation of the gun must be properly adjusted when the point of the index-hand touches the curve gh.u The curve g h may also be traced by drawing the line m p at an angle with m n ICO Youter face a graduation 2,

greateror less than n' degrees if only the relation between the two angles be constant for the several points of the curve.

It is not absolutely necessary that the index-hand should be pivoted, since it may, for instance,be arranged to slide in a straight line within a guide, in which ease its point also travels in a straight line. This, however, does not change the method of tracing the curve g h and the manner of sighting and adjusting the gun to the proper elevation.

Two adjustments are provided for the index-hands c-nainely, an adjustment to the elevation due to the distance, as required by the firing-tables, and an adjustment to the angle of depression or elevation of the object to be iired at. For this purpose a box-like casing s, carrying the sighting-beam'u with the front sight e' and the back sight w, is pivoted on the shaft c between the sides of the standard d and adjustably held by a worm or, mounted in bearings ofthe standard a; the Worm being provided with a handle y and 'engaging a worm-wheel sector at the bottom of the casing s. Fixed to the shaft c is another worin-wheel sector t, actuated by a worm q, journaled in the casing s and provided with a hand-'wheel 0*. By this latter worm-gear the relative angular position of the index-hand e and sighting-beam n is adjusted to the elevation due to horizontal distance, while by the first-mentioned wormgear these two parts are turned together for the purpose of adjustment to the difference of level. From the worm-wheel sector t extends a cylindrically-formed plate l, concentric to the shaft c. This plate has on its which when the index-hand e is adjusted by the worin-gear `q t passes a mark on the upper edge of the cross-piece 3, iixed to the casing s, thereby Aallowing the gunner to read off the number of degrees to which the index-hands e have been turned in relation to sighting-arm uf, While an index-hand G, extending from the .casing s to a cylindric scale on the right side v5 of the standard ce, indicates the degree ot vangular motion ot' the casing s, (together with Worin-gear q t and sighting apparatus.)

In operation the gunner, by the hand-wheel o', first adjusts the index-hand e to the proper elevation called for by the iiring-tables for vthe given horizontal distance of the object to be fired at. During this operation the position of the sight-beam remains unchanged. Then turning the hand-wheel f/the gunner directs the sight line to the target or other object to be Iired at. In so adjusting the sight the casing s is turned, and with it the index-hand e, so that according to the elevation or depression of the target the angle to 'which the index-hands have been previously adjusted is increased or decreased. The gun is now turned by the elevating machinery until the end of the index-hand e meets the `curve g h, when the gun is at the proper elevation for the given distance.

Sometimes-for example, aboard-the adj ustment of the index-hand to the angle of depression or elevation of the object to be tired at may be dispensed with, the sighting-beam 1t forming a solid part of the standard a., the sight-line being horizontal, and the worm q jonrnaled in the standard a. The difference of level may then be accounted for by profiting from the rolling of the ship and firing at the moment the target is passing the sightline.

That I claim as new isl. In an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns, the combination with an indexplate attached to the gun and having an index-curvetraced thereon, of a standard fixed to the gun-support; an index-hand adjustable in saidstandard according to the required elevation ot' the gun, whereby after adjustment of the index-hand the gun is adjusted to the proper elevation by turning it on the tru nnions until a ixed part of the index-hand meets the index-curve, substantiallyas described.

2. In an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns, the combination with an indexplate attached to the gun and having an index-curve traced thereon, of a standard fixed to the gun-support; an index-hand fixed to a shaft journaled within said standard and extending over the index-plate, and mechanism for turning the index-hand and adjusting it to the proper angle of elevation, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

3. In an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns, the combination with an indexplate attached to the gun and having an index-curve traced thereon, of a standard fixed to the gun-su pport; an index-hand adjustable in said standard in relation to the sight-line to lthe angle of elevation due to the distance ot' the target, and also adjustable jointly with the sight-line to the elevation or depression of the target, whereby after adjustment of the index-hand the gun is adjusted to the proper elevation by turning it on the trunnions until a ixed part of the index-hand meets the index-curve, substantially as described.

II. ln an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns, the combination with an indexplate attached to the gun and having an index-curve traced thereon, of a standard iixed Vfixed to said shaft and extending to swing IOO IOS

IIO

across the face of said index-plate; a casing pivoted to the shaft and carrying a sightingbeam with front and back sight; mechanical means for turning the index-hand in relation to the sighting-arm; a scale to read oli.c the angle of turning; and mechanical means for turning the index hand together with the sighting apparatus; whereby the relative angular position of the sightiug-arin and the index-hand is first adjusted to the elevation due to the distance ot the target, the sighting-arm and index-hand then jointly turned to direct the sight-line to the object, andthe gun iinally brought to the proper elevation by turning it on the trunnions until the outer end of the index-hand meets the index-curve, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for adjusting the elevation of guns; index-plates f fixed to the gun index-curves g hdrawn on said index-plates; a standard a fixed to the gun-support; a shaft c supported in bearings h b of the standard, and in outer fixed bearings CZ d; indeX-hands e e iXed to the shaft c and extending over the index-plates; a casing s pivoted to the shaft c between the sides of the standard, and caring,sightingbeam and index-hands are turned together and the index-hands adjusted for difference of level, as the sight-line is turned up or down toward the target, and the guns brought to the proper elevation by turning them on their trunnions until the ends of the index-hands come up to the indexcurves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 'my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHANNES KRONE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM EssENWEIN, GEO. P. PETTIT. 

